Not So Bad After All
by upriserseven
Summary: Maybe Tony wasnt so bad after all... a sweet little TATE valentines fic for y'all


**Author's Note: **Yay! I decided to jump on the old bandwagon and write a Valentine Fic. There actually hasnt been as many as I thought there would be... Anyway, this took me hours because I wanted to get it right.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own NCIS. I didn't yesterday and I probably wont tomorrow. But I own the idea. And some NCIS DVDs and the episode of CSI that is mentioned on DVD. And I also have a mp3 of Sasha singing outrageous... yeah, weird I know, but do I care??

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Kate walked into the building and was immediately sickened by the fact that even a federal building was full of couples that were all over each other. She sighed and thought to herself that this was going to be a long day. Knowing that she was early and Gibbs wouldn't even expect her to be here yet, she decided to go and see Abby. 

"Hey Abs."

"Hey Kate. We still on for tonight?"

"Of course. I hate valentines day."

"Save it for tonight. Me, you, takeout, wine and movies."

"Sounds great. Ugh, I just know I'm gonna have to listen to DiNozzo ramble on about his valentines bimbo all day."

"Aaw, come on Kate. Just 'cause our valentines days suck, doesn't mean everyone elses should to."

"Yes, it does. It really does." She broke out a huge smile. "No, if Tony lets me be miserable in peace, I'm ok with him having a nice day."

"Well, isn't that nice of you. You should go. It's nearly time."

"Yeah, okay. Seeya later Abs." Kateran to the elevator and just about squeezed in at the right time. She gave her typical 'Todd Glare' to the guy that was standing in there. "Oh, gee. Thanks for holding the door."

"Sorry, I didn't see you." Kate just scoffed and turned away. It wasn't even 8am yet and she'd already felt like hitting at least 10 people. The elevator stopped at the ground floor and Tony jumped in.

"Oh great, another way to make my day even better." Tony could tell that this probably wasn't the best time to wish Kate a happy valentine's day, so he left it. The other guy in the elevator, who Tony didn't know, decided that this would be a great time to be a jackass.

"What the hell is your problem lady? Or are you just a bitch?" Tony saw the rage in Kate's eyes build and just when he figured she was about to swing for the guy, stepped in the way and ended up being hit, but he didn't care. Tony stepped up, right in front of the guy, right in his face and asked very quietly and yet very threateningly,

"What would make you think that that is an acceptable way to to talk to a lady?"

"Y'know she's not really being too ladylike right now."

"Ever think that maybe she just doesn't talk to random people in elevators. Or that maybe she's having a crappy day and that what you just said has just made it worse. Or as far as you know, what she said to me was a joke. Or maybe I'm a total jerk and what she just said was completely justified. So, if I were you I'd apologise, before I step out of the way and let her beat your ass." Tony moved out of the way so that he was no longer blocking Kate from indeed kicking this guys ass. Kate, however didn't move. She was pretty much to shocked to do anything. After a second or two, she remembered what was going on and stepped up to the guy.

"Now," Tony butted in, "I believe there was something you wanted to say, correct?" The guy just stared at Kate for a moment or two before sighing and mumbling something.

"I'm sorry I think I missed that, if you're going to apologise to me I think I should at least be able to hear it."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Just at that second, as if on cue, the elevator stopped at Kate and Tony's floor. They walked out and Kate stopped him by the water cooler.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Protect me like that."

"That guy was being a jerk, he needed... Look I just did, it was an instinct. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Being protective, I know you don't need me to stick up for you, that guy just made me so mad."

"Don't be sorry, it was sweet. Thanks Tony." Kate then surprised them both by kissing Tony on the cheek. "Oh, and happy valentines day Tony. Hope your day is better than mine." She then walked off toward her desk. Tony followed her and sat on the corner in front of her.

"Actually, my day will suck. I have no date tonight."

"What? Anthony DiNozzo with no date on valentines day... I'm shocked!" He started to hang his head and Kate whacked him playfully on the leg. "Relax, stud, I'm joking. But, seriously, you cant have been short of offers."

"A couple of girls asked me out but, I dont know. I just didn't want to spend valentines day with someone who didn't actually mean that much to me." Just at that moment Gibbs walked in and told them to 'shut the hell up and just go and get the stuff and the truck.'

The rest of the day was pretty much spent the same way as every other day, with work, coffee, head slaps and shameless flirting between Kate and Tony. Only today, it was different. Today, it wasn't just regular flirting. Today, it seemed like there could be something behind it. Today, it never seemed awkward and there was never a moment where it seemed like eihter wanted to kill the other. Abby, because of the new found friendship between Kate and Tony, decided that Tony could join her and Kate's anti-valentines day night in. And to her surprise, Tony accepted and Kate didn't object.

As soon as the clock struck eight, Tony got up and stood next to Kate's desk,

"Ready to go?" Kate looked up at him and smiled. Maybe Tony wasn't such a bad guy after all. He'd been really sweet all day and he had stuck up for her to that jerk earlier. She switched off her computer and stood up.

"Yep. I'm ready. We gotta go down to Abby to get her key." Tony looked confused. "Here's how it works. We go down to Abby and get her key. She gets the food on her way home and we get the wine on the way to Abby's. Then we hang out til she gets there."

"Ok.."

"Trust me it's simple." They walked down to Abby's lab and got her key, stopped off to get wine and went to Abby's place.

"Wow! This place is nice!"

"You've never been to Abby's before?"

"No. Why would I?"

"I don't know, actually. She's been to your place, I know that much."

"Yeah. So, if you dont mind my asking, why do you hate valentines day?"

"Eh, it's kinda lame. It's just that, I've never had a valentine. I've never gotten a gift or a card. I've never had a date. I've never been kissed or even hugged on valentines. I guess I've just never had a reason to like valentines is all."

"You have got to be joking!"

"What?"

"No guy has ever been smart enough to snap you up for valentines, seriously?"

"No, I have never ever had a valentine, Tony."

"You've never even been kissed on valentines?"

"No, DiNozzo, I haven't. New topic?" Tony nodded at the suggestion of a new topic and then caught her off guard by grabbing her and kissing her. This was the time that Abby, always one to be awkward, decided to pick this moment to open the door. Hearing the key in the door, Kate pulled away and smiled at Tony.

"I guess that's one thing I can cross off my valentine list." She smiled and went to help Abby with the food.

They sat and decided on watching crime shows instead of movies, so it was something they could all enjoy. They settled on watching CSI. Abby picked an episode from her DVD collection that 'rocked so hard'. The episode was called 'Alter Boys' and apparently it was one they would love. Tony then realised that he knew the episode and decided to point something out to the girls.

"This is the one with the hottie from Dawson's Creek."

"Which hottie from Dawson's Creek?" Abby and Kate asked in unison.

"Gretchen, she was Pacey's sister and she..."

"Dated Dawson." Kate smiled at Tony. "Yeah I remember her, Sasha something?"

"Yeah, I cant remember her surname."

"OK, guys? New topic please. For someone who had better things to do than watch Dawson's Creek.."

"Yeah, or how about no new topic and we just watch the show.." They all decided that Kate's suggestion was probably the best and sat and quietly watched the show. However, five minutes in, Kate burst out laughing.

"What?"

"I just cant help but think that, well, Tony must have thought about this at some point before." They both looked at her, clearly confused. "Spending valentines night sitting between two women drinking." Abby and Tony simply started laughing. "I dont know where that thought came from to be honest."

"Its true. I have most definetly dreamed about spending my night with a drunk Kate and Abby. Although we weren't watching CSI and talking about hot chicks from Dawson's Creek." He raised an eyebrow and winked at the both of them. They both laughed and all three calmed down and took their attention back to the show. They all settled into positions that they were comfortable in, which resulted in Tony sitting with one arm around Kate and the other around Abby. Kate, however had discovered that to get comfortable, she needed to be curled up. Which, ultimately meant that she had to curl into Tony. She sighed and moved into him. He just looked at her and smiled, before she rested her head on his shoulder. Abby noted the small situation with a smile. Maybe these two were finally about to admit what everyone else could see.

With the amount of pausing and rewinding that they had to do, it took them nealr three hours to watch an episode of CSI, which should have taken around 45 minutes. This meant that by the time the episode had finished, Kate was pretty tired and wanted to go home. Abby was already practically asleep, so Tony was going to leave too. Considering that they had both been drinking, they decided to share a cab, for safety reasons and it would be cheaper. Tony called a cab while Kate woke up Abby and told her they were leaving.

"Abs, hon, we're going now, ok?"

"Ugh, yeah okie dokie Kate. Seeya tomorrow."

"Bye Bye Abs." Kate hugged her friend goodbye and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She looked up to see Tony standing there, jaw hitting the floor. "Come on DiNozzo, lets go."

"Yeah, seeya Abs." They heard a faint mumble in response which they took to mean that Abby was saying goodbye to Tony. "You just kissed Abby, where are Kodak when you need them?"

"Shut up Tony." Kate grabbed Tony's hand and pulled him outside so they could talk.

"Katie, it's raining."

"I don't care. I need to talk to you." Tony pulled her into a corner so that they would at least be kind of protected from the rain. "Tony, what was that kiss all about? Was it just because of what I said, because I dont know, I've felt all day like there was something going on between us." Tony looked at her for a minute and was clearly thinking of something to say. But he simply looked at her, her hair all wet and there was a look in her eyes, he wasn't sure exactly what it was, but whatever it was was fuelled by hope. He smiled at her and kissed her again. He couldn't help but laugh when they were interrupted once again, this time by their cab. Kate looked up into his eyes and smiled.

"You know Tony, there's something else I've never done on valentines day." He smiled back at her and she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the cab. "Your place or mine?"

"Which ever is closest."

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**A/N2: **Like it?? I hope you did. Review it, even if you didnt. Although please be kind... THANK YOU! and Happy Valentines Day Y'all! 


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